German state aims for 4 billion-euro exports to Saudi Arabia by 2020

Saeed Al-Khotani

RIYADH: The German State of Baden-Wurttemberg will strive to attain over 4 billion euros exports to the Kingdom by 2020, a goal that will double the current exports of 2.1 billion euros, according to the state’s Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Nils Schmid.

"I expressed this ambition recently to the newly appointed Saudi Ambassador to Berlin. I hope we can achieve it as we are progressing steadily in our exports to the Kingdom. In 2010, our exports exceeded 1 billion euros for the first time, and in 2014 they peaked to 2.1 billion euros, corresponding to quarter of German exports to Saudi Arabia at that year," he said.

Schmid, who ended his two-day business visit to the Kingdom Monday, heading a large business delegation, met a number of top Saudi officials. They included Minister of Commerce and Industry Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, Minister of Economy Adel Fakeih, Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) Gov. and Chairman Abdullatif Al-Othman, and Council of Saudi Chambers President Abdulrahman Al-Zamil.

Schmid attributed his state’s strong performance of exports to its long lasting friendship with the Kingdom, which dates back to more than two decades. Over the years, he added, his state participated in many great fairs and organized a lot of business delegations to Riyadh, Jeddah and the Eastern Province.

"I believe it is fair to say that services and products of our state have good reputation among government and business circles in Saudi Arabia. This holds true for our global companies like Daimler, Bosch and SAP, as well as for small and medium enterprises present in the Saudi market," he said.

"A famous example is the Makkah Clock — the biggest clock tower in the world. It was built in the Black Forest by Perrot, a company with a long-standing tradition, " he pointed out.

Giving another example, he said: “In 2013, the chamber of engineers from Baden-Wurttemberg initiated a partnership with the Saudi Council of Engineers. It entailed a program for Saudi students in the field of civil engineering to participate in internships in Baden-Wurttemberg."

Schmid announced that his state will participate in Janadriyah, the most prestigious Saudi heritage and culture festival, in 2016.

“Baden-Wurttemberg is the only German federal state participating in the Janadriyah festival. This reflects the fact that our diverse relations with the Kingdom goes beyond business, With this, we are keen to promote cultural and personal exchanges,” he added.

The German Ambassador to the Kingdom Boris Ruge said Baden Wurttemberg Vice Prime Minister’s visit was a very successful one for both, the state and the Kingdom.

He emphasized that strong cooperation between Germany and the Kingdom has become a necessity now due to unprecedented turbulence in the region especially after the dramatic events in Paris.

“This and the arrival of refugees in Germany remind us that our regions are very closely linked today much more than before," he added.